Safety cap for a cannula

Abstract

Safety cap for a cannula, comprising an outer sleeve ( 10 ) having a rolling end ( 11 ) and a top end ( 12 ) made of a rigid plastic material and a seal element ( 30 ) made of a gas-permeable, flexible plastic held inside the outer sleeve ( 10 ), having a channel ( 33 ) closed at one end to seal off the opening at the tip of the cannula, characterized in that the outer sleeve ( 10 ) is interrupted by at least one lateral opening ( 18 ) in its long side between the bottom end ( 11 ) and the top end ( 15 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. Safety cap for a cannula, comprising an outer sleeve ( 10 ) having a rolling end ( 11 ) and a top end ( 12 ) made of a rigid plastic material and a seal element ( 30 ) made of a gas-permeable, flexible plastic, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) and said seal element ( 30 ) being integrally connected with each other so that there is no gap between them, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) having an essentially cylindrical base section ( 13 ) at its bottom end ( 11 ), means defining an insertion opening ( 12 ) in said base section for the cannula, a top section ( 14 ) connected to said base section ( 13 ) and extending all the way to the top end ( 15 ) of the outer sleeve ( 10 ), and means defining a pass-through opening ( 16 ) in said sleeve ( 10 ), in which the seal element ( 30 ) is located, closing off the top end ( 15 ) of the outer sleeve, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) being interrupted by at least one lateral opening ( 18 ) in its long side between the bottom end ( 11 ) and the top end ( 15 ), wherein the lateral opening ( 18 ) is arranged directly adjacent to the bare section ( 13 ) of the outer sleeve ( 10 ) and continues into the top section ( 14 ), with the lateral opening ( 18 ) extending into the region of the seal element ( 30 ), in which the channel ( 33 ) for reception of the cannula is located, and the lateral opening ( 18 ) of the outer sleeve is filled completely by the seal element ( 30 ), and of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the wall of the outer sleeve ( 10 ), said insertion opening being of a predetermined diameter and the lateral opening spaced a predetermined axial distance from the lower edges of the base section ( 13 ) to limit the angle of the cannula so that it does not pierce the lateral opening ( 18 ). 
     
     
       2. Safety cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the top section ( 14 ) has an essentially cylindrical base body ( 20 ), which tapers slightly toward the top end ( 15 ), which is provided with preferably at least two ribs ( 21 ), each of which begins at the base section ( 13 ) and extends in the longitudinal direction of the safety cap. 
     
     
       3. Safety cap according to  claim 2 , wherein the ribs ( 21 ) are arranged at a slant to the radial direction of the outer sleeve ( 10 ) in such a way that the top section ( 14 ) has the shape of an H in cross section. 
     
     
       4. Safety cap according to  claim 3 , wherein the lateral opening ( 18 ) is located in a wall section ( 17 ) between the essentially parallel ribs ( 21 ). 
     
     
       5. Safety cap according to  claim 2 , wherein the top section ( 14 ) has, in reference to the longitudinal direction of the safety cap, two opposing narrow sides and two opposing wide sides, the latter being designed as gripping surfaces provided with anti-slip holes ( 41 ). 
     
     
       6. Safety cap according to  claim 2 , wherein the top section ( 14 ) has, in reference to the longitudinal direction of the safety cap, two opposing narrow sides and two opposing wide sides, the latter being designed as gripping surfaces provided with anti-slip projections ( 40 ). 
     
     
       7. Safety cap according to  claim 2 , wherein the top section ( 14 ) has a cylindrical base body ( 20 ) with ribs ( 21 ) with extending in the longitudinal direction of the safety cap, said base body tapering conically toward the front end ( 15 ), whereby the conically tapering base body ( 20 ) has between each pair of adjacent ribs ( 21 ), several lateral openings ( 18 ), which are designed as elongated slots ( 41 ) transverse to the longitudinal direction of the safety cap and which are filled completely by the material of the flexible plastic component. 
     
     
       8. Safety cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the top edge of each opening ( 18 ) thus facing the top end ( 15 ) of the sleeve, is designed as an outwardly projecting protective tongue ( 26 ), having an interior wall surface ( 27 ) which slants inward toward the top end ( 15 ). 
     
     
       9. Safety cap for a cannula, comprising an outer sleeve ( 10 ) having a rolling end ( 11 ) and a top end ( 12 ) made of a rigid plastic material and a seal element ( 30 ) made of a gas-permeable, flexible plastic, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) and said seal element ( 30 ) being integrally connected with each other so that there is no gap between them, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) having an essentially cylindrical base section ( 13 ) at its bottom end ( 11 ), means defining an insertion opening ( 12 ) in said base section for the cannula, a top section ( 14 ) connected to said base section ( 13 ) and extending all the way to the top end ( 15 ) of the outer sleeve ( 10 ), and means defining a pass-through opening ( 16 ) in said sleeve ( 10 ), in which the seal element ( 30 ) is located, closing off the top end ( 15 ) of the outer sleeve, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) being interrupted by at least one lateral opening ( 18 ) in its long side between the bottom end ( 11 ) and the top end ( 15 ), wherein the lateral opening ( 18 ) is arranged directly adjacent to the base section ( 13 ) of the outer sleeve ( 10 ) and continues into the top section ( 14 ), with the lateral opening ( 18 ) extending into the region of the seal element ( 30 ), in which the channel ( 33 ) for reception of the cannula is located , and the lateral opening ( 18 ) of the outer sleeve is filled completely by the seal element ( 30 ), and of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the wall of the outer sleeve ( 10 ), said insertion opening being of a predetermined diameter and the lateral opening spaced a predetermined axial distance from the lower edges of the base section ( 13 ) to limit the angle of the cannula so that it does not pierce the lateral opening ( 18 ). 
     
     
       10. Safety cap for a cannula, comprising an outer sleeve ( 10 ) having a rolling end ( 11 ) and a top end ( 12 ) made of a rigid plastic material and a seal element ( 30 ) made of a gas-permeable, flexible plastic, wherein said outer sleeve ( 10 ) and said seal element ( 30 ) are formed jointly by a two-component injection molding method and are integrally connected with each other so that there is no gap between them, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) has an essentially cylindrical base section ( 13 ) at its bottom end ( 11 ), means defining an insertion opening ( 12 ) in said base section for the cannula, a top section ( 14 ) connected to said base section ( 13 ) and extending all the way to the top end ( 15 ) of the outer sleeve ( 10 ), and means defining a pass-through opening ( 16 ) in said sleeve ( 10 ), in which the seal element ( 30 ) is located, closing off the top end ( 15 ) of the outer sleeve, said outer sleeve ( 10 ) being interrupted by at least one lateral opening ( 18 ) in its long side between the bottom end ( 11 ) and the top end ( 15 ), wherein the lateral opening ( 18 ) is arranged directly adjacent to the base section ( 13 ) of the outer sleeve ( 10 ) and continues into the top section ( 14 ), with the lateral opening ( 18 ) extending into the region of the seat element ( 30 ), in which the channel ( 33 ) for reception of the cannula is located, and the lateral opening ( 18 ) of the outer sleeve is filled completely by the seal element ( 30 ), with a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the wall of the outer sleeve ( 10 ).